Puppy breath, those big eyes full of hope when you give a dog a new leash on life, the wagging tail that greets you when you come home…is there anything that can melt your heart faster than a dog? Probably not.
When the puppy breath grows faint and those cute little teeth turn to razors that are shredding your furniture and best pair of shoes, your heart turns from goo to regret and doubt. We all know that dogs will be dogs, but does that mean they have to run our lives and ruin our things? NO.
Old or young, brand new or new to you, every dog can benefit from training. While it’s advertised as “dog training” the truth of the matter is, it’s people training. No amount of love for your dog is going to make him miraculously start following commands without instruction or go against his natural inclinations without motivation. Basic training something that both you and your dog can benefit from.
How Is Training Beneficial?
- Help your dog gain confidence: Confidence plays a huge part in your dog's temperament. A confident dog is more likely to socialize well with other animals, take instruction more readily and achieve a balanced life. Nervous dogs can be dangerous dogs, many dogs that bite do it out of fear, not aggression. Putting your dog in a controlled environment with other people and dogs is not only a bonding experience, but also the foundation of a long and happy life for him and you.
- Set boundaries for your dog: Whether your dog is brand new, or just new to you (rescued, a foster, etc.) any dog coming into your home needs to know your boundaries. At some point in your childhood you heard the phrase, “You live under my house, you follow my rules!” or perhaps you’ve said it to your own kids. This phrase usually pops up when kids are pushing the boundaries, so if your kids can’t get away with it, why should your dog? Determining your boundaries early on is paramount in your relationship with your dog. If you don’t establish dominance you are going to be controlled by your four legged friend. Training will help you define your boundaries and learn how to properly enforce them.
- Create balance in your dogs life and your own: Humans are always searching for balance in their lives. Balancing work and home, balancing mental and physical health, it’s a constant juggling act to keep our busy lives in balance. When it comes to our dogs we think they have the perfect life, they lay around all day and then get unconditional love all night; what’s not perfect in their life? What we may see as the perfect life is actually opposite for a dog. Think about taking your 3 year old and putting them in a room alone for 8+ hours. How happy are they going to be at the end of that hours? Are they going to be in a peaceful mental state and emotionally balanced? No. They will be screaming and crying and at some point most likely destructive to their surroundings. Dogs are pack animals, so while we would give our right arm for a few hours or peace and quiet, to a dog it’s more like punishment or torture. Dogs need discipline, exercise and affection in order to have a balanced life.
What Kind Of Training Is Best?
- Force-free reward based training is the way to go. Science and psychology have proven that force free methods are far more effective in achieving the behaviors you want from your dog. Make your dog want to listen and have an enjoyable experience training your dog in our basic obedience classes!
When Should You Do Training?
- In our next class! Our next obedience class begins soon! Sign up today!
How Do You Register For Training?
- Give us a call at Camp 586-445-9663 to register for class, or get more information.
- Or email the trainer to see if group classes are the right fit for you!